Bc ielts reading test 2

Write your answers on the answer sheet.. READING PASSAGE 1 You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1–13, which are based on Reading Passage 1 on the following pages.. Write the c

Candidate Number

Candidate Name

INTERNATIONAL ENGLISH LANGUAGE TESTING SYSTEM

Academic Reading

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES

Do not open this question paper until you are told to do so

Write your name and candidate number in the spaces at the top of this page

Read the instructions for each part of the paper carefully

Answer all the questions

Write your answers on the answer sheet Use a pencil

You must complete the answer sheet within the time limit

At the end of the test, hand in both this question paper and your answer sheet

INFORMATION FOR CANDIDATES

There are 40 questions on this question paper

Each question carries one mark

READING PASSAGE 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1–13, which are based on Reading

Passage 1 on the following pages

Questions 1–7

Reading Passage 1 has seven paragraphs, A–G

Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below

Write the correct number, i–x, in boxes 1–7 on your answer sheet

List of Headings

i A unique sensory experience

ii Getting back to basics

iii The gift that keeps on giving

iv Variations in alcohol content

v Old methods of transportation

vi Culinary applications

vii Making kefir

viii A fortunate accident

ix Kefir gets an image makeover

x Ways to improve taste

1 Section A

2 Section B

3 Section C

4 Section D

5 Section E

6 Section F

7 Section G

T he M AGIC o f K EFIR

A The shepherds of the North Caucasus region of Europe were only trying to

transport milk the best way they knew how – in leather pouches strapped to the side of donkeys – when they made a significant discovery A fermentation process would sometimes inadvertently occur en route, and when the pouches were opened up on arrival they would no longer contain milk but rather a pungent, effervescent, low-alcoholic substance instead This unexpected development was a blessing in disguise

The new drink – which acquired the name kefir – turned out to be a health tonic, a

naturally-preserved dairy product and a tasty addition to our culinary repertoire

B Although their exact origin remains a mystery, we do know that yeast-based

kefir grains have always been at the root of the kefir phenomenon These grains are

capable of a remarkable feat: in contradistinction to most other items you might find

in a grocery store, they actually expand and propagate with use This is because the grains, which are granular to the touch and bear a slight resemblance to cauliflower rosettes, house active cultures that feed on lactose when added to milk Consequently,

a bigger problem for most kefir drinkers is not where to source new kefir grains, but

what to do with the ones they already have!

C The great thing about kefir is that it does not require a manufacturing line in

order to be produced Grains can be simply thrown in with a batch of milk for

ripening to begin The mixture then requires a cool, dark place to live and grow, with periodic unsettling to prevent clumping (Caucasus inhabitants began storing the concoction in animal-skin satchels on the back of doors – every time someone entered the room the mixture would get lightly shaken) After about 24 hours the yeast

cultures in the grains have multiplied and devoured most of the milk sugars, and the final product is then ready for human consumption

D Nothing compares to a person’s first encounter with kefir The smooth,

uniform consistency rolls over the tongue in a manner akin to liquefied yogurt The sharp, tart pungency of unsweetened yogurt is there too, but there is also a slight hint

of effervescence, something most users will have previously associated only with

mineral waters, soda or beer Kefir also comes with a subtle aroma of yeast, and

depending on the type of milk and ripening conditions, ethanol content can reach up

to two or three percent – about on par with a decent lager – although you can expect around 0.8 to one per cent for a typical day-old preparation This can bring out a tiny

edge of alcohol in the kefir’s flavour

E Although it has prevailed largely as a fermented milk drink, over the years

kefir has acquired a number of other uses Many bakers use it instead of starter yeast

in the preparation of sourdough, and the tangy flavour also makes kefir an ideal buttermilk substitute in pancakes Kefir also accompanies sour cream as one of the

main ingredients in cold beetroot soup and can be used in lieu of regular cow’s milk

on granola or cereal As a way to keep their digestive systems fine-tuned, athletes

sometimes combine kefir with yoghurt in protein shakes

F Associated for centuries with pictures of Slavic babushkas clutching a shawl

in one hand and a cup of kefir in the other, the unassuming beverage has become a

minor celebrity of the nascent health food movement in the contemporary West Every day, more studies pour out supporting the benefits of a diet high in probiotics1 This trend toward consuming probiotics has engulfed the leisure classes in these countries to the point that it is poised to become, according to some commentators,

“the next multivitamin” These days the word kefir is consequently more likely to

bring to mind glamorous, yoga mat-toting women from Los Angeles than austere visions of blustery Eastern Europe

G Kefir’s rise in popularity has encouraged producers to take short cuts or alter

the production process Some home users have omitted the ripening and culturation process while commercial dealers often add thickeners, stabilisers and sweeteners

1

Probiotic = substance containing beneficial and intestine-friendly microorganisms

But the beauty of kefir is that, at its healthiest and tastiest, it is a remarkably

affordable, uncluttered process, as any accidental invention is bound to be All that is necessary are some grains, milk and a little bit of patience A return to the

unadulterated kefir-making of old is in everyone’s interest

Questions 8–11

Answer the questions below using NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the

passage for each answer

Write your answers in boxes 8–11 on your answer sheet

8 What do kefir grains look like?

9 What needs to happen to kefir while it is ripening?

10 What will the yeast cultures have consumed before kefir is ready to drink?

11 The texture of kefir in the mouth is similar to what?

Questions 12 and 13

Choose TWO letters, A–E

Write the correct letters in boxes 12 and 13 on your answer sheet

Which TWO products are NOT mentioned as things which kefir can replace?

A Ordinary cow’s milk

B Buttermilk

C Sour cream

D Starter yeast

E Yoghurt

READING PASSAGE 2

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 14–26, which are based on Reading

Passage 2 on the following pages

Questions 14–21

Reading Passage 2 has nine paragraphs, A–I

Choose the correct heading for paragraphs A–H from the list of headings below Write the correct number, i–xi, in boxes 14–21 on your answer sheet

List of Headings

i A historical delicacy

ii The poor may benefit

iii Presentation is key to changing attitudes

iv Environmentally friendly production

v Tradition meets technology

vi A cultural pioneer

vii Western practices harm locals

viii Good source of nutrients

ix Growing popularity

x A healthy choice

xi A safety risk

14 Section A

15 Section B

16 Section C

17 Section D

18 Section E

19 Section F

20 Section G

21 Section H

FOOD FOR THOUGHT FOOD FOR THOUGHT

A Why not eat insects? So asked British entomologist Vincent M Holt in the

title of his 1885 treatise on the benefits of what he named entomophagy – the

consumption of insects (and similar creatures) as a food source The prospect of

eating dishes such as “wireworm sauce” and “slug soup” failed to garner favour

amongst those in the stuffy, proper, Victorian social milieu of his time, however, and Holt’s visionary ideas were considered at best eccentric, at worst an offense to every refined palate Anticipating such a reaction, Holt acknowledged the difficulty in

unseating deep-rooted prejudices against insect cuisine, but quietly asserted his

confidence that “we shall some day quite gladly cook and eat them”

B It has taken nearly 150 years but an eclectic Western-driven movement has finally mounted around the entomophagic cause In Los Angeles and other

cosmopolitan Western cities, insects have been caught up in the endless pursuit of novel and authentic delicacies “Eating grasshoppers is a thing you do here”, bug-supplier Bricia Lopez has explained “There’s more of a ‘cool’ factor involved.” Meanwhile, the Food and Agricultural Organization has considered a policy paper on the subject, initiated farming projects in Laos, and set down plans for a world

congress on insect farming in 2013

C Eating insects is not a new phenomenon In fact, insects and other such

creatures are already eaten in 80 per cent of the world’s countries, prepared in

customary dishes ranging from deep-fried tarantula in Cambodia to bowls of baby bees in China With the specialist knowledge that Western companies and

organisations can bring to the table, however, these hand-prepared delicacies have the potential to be produced on a scale large enough to lower costs and open up mass markets A new American company, for example, is attempting to develop

pressurisation machines that would de-shell insects and make them available in the form of cutlets According to the entrepreneur behind the company, Matthew Krisiloff, this will be the key to pleasing the uninitiated palate

D Insects certainly possess some key advantages over traditional Western meat sources According to research findings from Professor Arnold van Huis, a Dutch entomologist, breeding insects results in far fewer noxious by-products Insects

produce less ammonia than pig and poultry farming, ten times less methane than livestock, and 300 times less nitrous oxide Huis also notes that insects – being cold-blooded creatures – can convert food to protein at a rate far superior to that of cows, since the latter exhaust much of their energy just keeping themselves warm

E Although insects are sometimes perceived by Westerners as unhygienic or disease-ridden, they are a reliable option in light of recent global epidemics (as Holt pointed out many years ago, insects are “decidedly more particular in their feeding than ourselves”) Because bugs are genetically distant from humans, species-hopping diseases such as swine flu or mad cow disease are much less likely to start or spread amongst grasshoppers or slugs than in poultry and cattle Furthermore, the squalid, cramped quarters that encourage diseases to propagate among many animal

populations are actually the residence of choice for insects, which thrive in such conditions

F Then, of course, there are the commercial gains As FAO Forestry Manager Patrick Durst notes, in developing countries many rural people and traditional forest dwellers have remarkable knowledge about managing insect populations to produce food Until now, they have only used this knowledge to meet their own subsistence needs, but Durst believes that, with the adoption of modern technology and improved promotional methods, opportunities to expand the market to new consumers will flourish This could provide a crucial step into the global economic arena for those primarily rural, impoverished populations who have been excluded from the rise of manufacturing and large-scale agriculture

G Nevertheless, much stands in the way of the entomophagic movement One problem is the damage that has been caused, and continues to be caused, by Western organisations prepared to kill off grasshoppers and locusts – complete food proteins –

in favour of preserving the incomplete protein crops of millet, wheat, barley and maize Entomologist Florence Dunkel has described the consequences of such

interventions While examining children’s diets as a part of her field work in Mali, Dunkel discovered that a protein deficiency syndrome called kwashiorkor was

increasing in incidence Children in the area were once protected against kwashiorkor

by a diet high in grasshoppers, but these had become unsafe to eat after pesticide use

in the area increased

H A further issue is the persistent fear many Westerners still have about eating

insects “The problem is the ick factor—the eyes, the wings, the legs,” Krisiloff has

said “It’s not as simple as hiding it in a bug nugget People won’t accept it beyond the novelty When you think of a chicken, you think of a chicken breast, not the eyes, wings, and beak.” For Marcel Dicke, the key lies in camouflaging the fact that people are eating insects at all Insect flour is one of his propositions, as is changing the language of insect cuisine “If you say it’s mealworms, it makes people think of ringworm”, he notes “So stop saying ‘worm’ If we use Latin names, say it’s a

Tenebrio quiche, it sounds much more fancy” For Krisiloff, Dicke and others,

keeping quiet about the gritty reality of our food is often the best approach

I It is yet to be seen if history will truly redeem Vincent Holt and his suggestion that British families should gather around their dining tables for a breakfast of “moths

on toast” It is clear, however, that entomophagy, far from being a kooky sideshow to the real business of food production, has much to offer in meeting the challenges that global societies in the 21st century will face

Questions 22–26

Complete the notes below

Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer

Write your answers in boxes 22–26 on your answer sheet

Van Huis

• Insects are cleaner & do not release as many harmful gases

• Insects use food intake economically in the production of protein as they waste

less 22 ………

Durst

• Traditional knowledge could be combined with modern methods for mass

production instead of just covering 23 ………

• This could help 24 ……… people gain access to world markets

Dunkel

• Due to increased 25 ………, more children in Mali are suffering from

26 ………

READING PASSAGE 3

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 27–40, which are based on Reading

Passage 3 below

Love stories

“Love stories” are often associated – at least in the popular imagination – with fairy tales, adolescent day dreams, Disney movies and other frivolous pastimes For psychologists developing taxonomies2 of affection and attachment, however, this is an area of rigorous academic pursuit Beginning in the early 1970s with the

groundbreaking contributions of John Alan Lee, researchers have developed

classifications that they believe better characterise our romantic predispositions This involves examining not a single, universal, emotional expression (“love”), but rather a series of divergent behaviours and narratives that each has an individualised purpose, desired outcome and state of mind Lee’s gritty methodology painstakingly involved participants matching 170 typical romantic encounters (e.g., “The night after I met X…”) with nearly 1500 possible reactions (“I could hardly get to sleep” or “I wrote X

a letter”) The patterns unknowingly expressed by respondents culminated in a

taxonomy of six distinct love “styles” that continue to inform research in the area forty years later

The first of these styles – eros – is closely tied in with images of romantic love

that are promulgated in Western popular culture Characteristic of this style is a

passionate emotional intensity, a strong physical magnetism – as if the two partners were literally being “pulled” together – and a sense of inevitability about the

relationship A related but more frantic style of love called mania involves an

obsessive, compulsive attitude toward one’s partner Vast swings in mood from

ecstasy to agony – dependent on the level of attention a person is receiving from his

or her partner – are typical of manic love

Two styles were much more subdued, however Storge is a quiet,

companionate type of loving – “love by evolution” rather than “love by revolution”, according to some theorists Relationships built on a foundation of platonic affection

and caring are archetypal of storge When care is extended to a sacrificial level of doting, however, it becomes another style – agape In an agape relationship one

partner becomes a “caretaker”, exalting the welfare of the other above his or her own needs

The final two styles of love seem to lack aspects of emotion and reciprocity

altogether The ludus style envisions relationships primarily as a game in which it is

best to “play the field” or experience a diverse set of partners over time Mutually-gratifying outcomes in relationships are not considered necessary, and deception of a partner and lack of disclosure about one’s activities are also typical While Lee found that college students in his study overwhelmingly disagreed with the tenets of this style, substantial numbers of them acted in a typically ludic style while dating, a

finding that proves correct the deceit inherent in ludus Pragma lovers also